Dear Friends and Family of Mari Hall and Wisechoices,
Thanks to all who participated in the last Usui Retreat. The next one will start on the 21st of December. The guest Reiki writer is to be announced.
Thirty-Nine years ago today I gave birth to my daughter Stacey. It has given me time to reflect on the events of her birth and life. It is awe inspiring when I look back and she how she has grown up and taken her place as an adult and a mother. This morning we sang Happy Birthday to her while she was still in bed. Her children all around her filled with joy and love. Instead of the customary spanking of 39 light touches with one to grow on…we decided to kiss her 39 times. She squealed with delight.
I have enclosed three articles or short stories for your reading pleasure, I hope you enjoy them.
I wish you days of happiness and fond memories are we head into August.
Love and Blessings,
Mari
There is Something New at Wisechoices!
Now registering and paying for your upcoming event with Mari Hall is much easier. You can simply choose the date of interest, click on the 'Pay' buttons, and use your Credit or Check Card to complete the transaction and ensure your place in the next event with Mari Hall. You DO NOT need a Paypal account to complete a transaction.
All the classes are listed yet but we are working on it. There will also be links directly to the organizer of each course or event
http://www.wisechoices.com/paypal.asp
There is still a chance to attend the "Healing Ourselves, Healing the World," Greater Washington Reiki Conference Saturday, July 30 and Sunday, July 31, 2005. Mari is one of the guest speakers and will be teaching a ONE class on Sunday. Just follow this link for more information and to register.
http://www.reikicenter.info/pages/907070/index.htm
Giving the Freedom to Live Accepting the Journeys of Others
Each of us, in life, walks on the special path that the soul is destined to undertake. Our journeys are very different and we progress at different rates. The pitfalls and blessings we encounter are unique, yet we are all learning and no one form of knowledge is more important than any other. Even so, when we observe others, it can be easy to pass judgment on their decisions and to assume their actions will correspond with what we feel is right. But for every problem, there are a multitude of solutions. Everyone makes mistakes and, while watching others do so can be frustrating, it is important that you accept each person's unique way of doing things. Giving others the freedom to act in the way they feel are best without the fear of harsh judgments honors the capacity for growth that all people possess. It is helpful to practice accepting others as they are. Never judge the decisions of others based on the path you would have taken because every person lives by different values and experiences. Challenge is a universal concept, but we all deal with difficulties in our own way. Give others the space to fail, but don't harden your heart against their experience. It isn't wise to try and fix people or control situations. You may feel compelled to intervene when difficulties arise, but it is important only to offer guidance when asked unless the person is involved in a truly dangerous situation or cannot act for their own self. Failure to choose the right path or to make enlightened decisions is simply another step on the journey. It is a means to experience and wisdom. Letting go of the need to influence others does not discount offering loving support and it does not mean that you need to stop caring. It does mean stepping back, dissolving judgment, and gracefully allowing others to live their own destinies. Giving others the freedom to blossom in their own journeys gives you the freedom to take more notice of your own. You may not condone the actions you see taking place, but your reactions will be more loving by letting them be. And you will be able to focus on just being yourself, confident that the path you take is as right, valid, and special as any other.
From the Daily OM
The Importance of Aligning the Chakras
By Samasathi Byron Bay, Australia
Who are we, but a line of energy, pulsating more or less in harmony according to the balance of our four planes (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual)Enveloping our physical body, the Etheric aura is the direct result of this pulsation and will be strong, smooth, firm provided that our life energy is harmonious, our Chakras, true vortexes of energy , turning on themselves without any blockages.
In Sanskrit, a Chakra is a “wheel of energy”, and, although the Tradition numbers 72,000 the seven (the wisdom number) main ones are located alongside a channel “Sushumna” following the backbone from the Root up to the Crown.
Symbolically represented as lotus flowers ranging from 4 petals for the Root and 1,024 for the Crown, the Chakras whirl faster and faster when aligned, similar to blooming flowers radiating energy.
In direct relation with the too often overlooked endocrinal glands, the Chakras impact on our four planes and aligning them is the very essence of a Reiki treatment:
I AM: the Root Chakra is the Centre of Survival; the newborn has first to survive. A baby lives in the present and the fragmentation of life has us loose this grace. We have to find again our Inner Child.
I FEEL: the Sacral Chakra is the Centre of Desire; here enters duality and the emotional law of attraction and repulsion. We wish to be approved and accepted, we are scared to be abandoned.
I WANT: the Solar plexus is our Inner Sun and the Centre of our Will; we want to conquer the world and, what is good, master our fears. There is no love here but all the pressures of our modern society: money, power ad our image.
I LOVE: the Heart Chakra is the Centre of Unconditional Love and truly the Bridge between our earthen energies and the higher spiritual ones. Here Love becomes stronger than primal fears, and we discover the virtue of giving.
I TRUST: the Throat Chakra is the Centre of Trust and governs our capacity of expression. We open ourselves to life, and every sentient being including Mother Earth and the Cosmos is the face of Oneness.
I SEE: the Third Eye is the Centre of Intuition. We accept to let come and let go, and we are not scared to look at the Sun. We are now aware of the limits and dangers of the ego and we privilege intuition over mind.
I KNOW: the Crown Chakra is the Centre of Wisdom (the number 7). We are One with the Universe. We started in Innocence and we end in Innocence. Beginning and end, life and death, positive and negative are one. This is the Circle of Truth.
We are all divine beings and Buddhas to become! From the very beginning, everything is present as well as each Chakra contains all seven chakras. Once all aligned, there is only One Energy radiating Light and Love. Only the direction of your attention has changed, for all the aspects of the Universe have always been in you.
Our relative existence is just a grain of sand in the Ocean with which we are ONE.
The contemplative quest
Linda Sabbath took her three sons and decided to go and live on a small farm in the interior of Canada, where she wanted to dedicate herself completely to spiritual contemplation. In less than a year she fell in love, got married again, studied the saints’ techniques of meditation, fought for a school for her children, made friends, make enemies, neglected her teeth, got herself an abscess, hitchhiked in snowstorms, learned to fix the car, thaw out frozen pipes, make her alimony stretch out at month’s end, survive on unemployment money, sleep without indoor heating, laugh for no reason, cry with despair, build a chapel, make repairs to the house, paint walls, and give courses on spiritual contemplation. “And I eventually realized that a life of prayer does not mean isolation,” she says. Love is so big it has to be shared.
Paulo Coelho
Reiki,One Energy Therapy and personal messages from Reiki Master and Author, Mari Hall
7.21.2005
7.05.2005
Becoming the Peace Ray
Meditation for week Three of the Virtual Usui Retreat, July 5, 2005
Becoming the Peace Ray
Peace is all around us and within us. Peace is not something that we need to create because Peace already IS. By simply aligning our energy with the vibration of the Peace Ray we ARE peace.
We will begin as we did in last week’s meditation:
Please take a moment to relax and quiet your mind.
Breathe deeply, and slowly.
Imagine a sphere of shimmering, white, iridescent light floating above you.
Recognize that this sphere contains the full power of the Reiki energy.
Gently invite this energy into your crown chakra and allow it to descend down into the center of your head, behind your third eye. There is a connection of Divine healing energy here that creates your soul vision center.
Allow yourself to feel the brilliance of the Reiki energy growing in your soul vision center.
Feel a warm glow here as if the sun were shining from within you.
Now simply hold the intention for Reiki to flow out from your soul vision center in a beautiful ribbon of light, until it connects directly with the Peace Ray. (If you are a level II practitioner, please add the distant symbol here)
When you feel the energy connection, allow the essence of peace to flow back across that ribbon of light carrying the full vibration of peace into your soul vision center.
Allow the energy to flow into your entire physical body, and out into your etheric field. Allow perfect peace to permeate your entire being.
As this energy coalesces within your being, use your breath to increase the intensity of the light that is peace. Rest in this light.
When the process feels complete to you, gently disconnect from the ribbon of light and focus on integrating and grounding the experience of peace into your being.
Now focus on the Reiki energy and give thanks as it balances and aligns your chakras. Allow Reiki to adjust your chakras perfectly so that the flow of energy in your body is clear, smooth and peaceful. Be aware as your chakras are adjusted by placing your focus on your chakras one at a time beginning at the crown, and moving your awareness and intention down to your base chakra.
Laurelle Gaia
http://www.reikiclasses.com/
Becoming the Peace Ray
Peace is all around us and within us. Peace is not something that we need to create because Peace already IS. By simply aligning our energy with the vibration of the Peace Ray we ARE peace.
We will begin as we did in last week’s meditation:
Please take a moment to relax and quiet your mind.
Breathe deeply, and slowly.
Imagine a sphere of shimmering, white, iridescent light floating above you.
Recognize that this sphere contains the full power of the Reiki energy.
Gently invite this energy into your crown chakra and allow it to descend down into the center of your head, behind your third eye. There is a connection of Divine healing energy here that creates your soul vision center.
Allow yourself to feel the brilliance of the Reiki energy growing in your soul vision center.
Feel a warm glow here as if the sun were shining from within you.
Now simply hold the intention for Reiki to flow out from your soul vision center in a beautiful ribbon of light, until it connects directly with the Peace Ray. (If you are a level II practitioner, please add the distant symbol here)
When you feel the energy connection, allow the essence of peace to flow back across that ribbon of light carrying the full vibration of peace into your soul vision center.
Allow the energy to flow into your entire physical body, and out into your etheric field. Allow perfect peace to permeate your entire being.
As this energy coalesces within your being, use your breath to increase the intensity of the light that is peace. Rest in this light.
When the process feels complete to you, gently disconnect from the ribbon of light and focus on integrating and grounding the experience of peace into your being.
Now focus on the Reiki energy and give thanks as it balances and aligns your chakras. Allow Reiki to adjust your chakras perfectly so that the flow of energy in your body is clear, smooth and peaceful. Be aware as your chakras are adjusted by placing your focus on your chakras one at a time beginning at the crown, and moving your awareness and intention down to your base chakra.
Laurelle Gaia
http://www.reikiclasses.com/
6.27.2005
Usui Virtual Retreat June 2005 - Week Two
Using Reiki to Connect with the Heart and Mind of God
Meditating with Reiki energy is very simple. If you have found it difficult to meditate in the past, Reiki can help you experience new levels of relaxation and peace.
Remember that Reiki is Divinely Guided Life Force Energy. It is guided by the Wisdom and Love of God. The meditations offered here are very simple, there is very little for you to DO, because Reiki will do it for you. Just intend to follow the steps in the meditation, and let the energy carry you wherever you need to be.
Please take a moment to relax and quiet your mind.
Breathe deeply, and slowly.
Imagine a sphere of shimmering, white, iridescent light floating above you.
Recognize that this sphere contains the full power of the Reiki energy, the essence of Divine Love.
Gently invite this energy into your crown chakra and allow it to descend down into your heart center.
Become aware that as you are opening to the flow of the Reiki energy completely there is a column of light flowing through the central channel of your body from the Heart of God, through you directly into the Heart of Mother Earth. You are a pillar of light, and you are anchoring the highest and most sacred healing energies onto the planet now.
Sit in silence for several minutes with Reiki energy flowing through you and BE the pillar of Divine Love and Light. When this feels complete to you, bring your awareness to the crown of you head and bring the light down through your crown into your heart. Then bring the light from the heart of the Earth up into your heart. Allow these beautiful energies of creation and manifestation to blend within you.
Now focus on the Reiki energy and give thanks as it balances and aligns your chakras. Allow Reiki to adjust your chakras perfectly so that the flow of energy in your body is clear, smooth and peaceful. Be aware as your chakras are adjusted by placing your focus on your chakras one at a time beginning at the crown, and moving your awareness and intention down to your base chakra.
Laurelle Gaia
http://www.reikiclasses.com/
Meditating with Reiki energy is very simple. If you have found it difficult to meditate in the past, Reiki can help you experience new levels of relaxation and peace.
Remember that Reiki is Divinely Guided Life Force Energy. It is guided by the Wisdom and Love of God. The meditations offered here are very simple, there is very little for you to DO, because Reiki will do it for you. Just intend to follow the steps in the meditation, and let the energy carry you wherever you need to be.
Please take a moment to relax and quiet your mind.
Breathe deeply, and slowly.
Imagine a sphere of shimmering, white, iridescent light floating above you.
Recognize that this sphere contains the full power of the Reiki energy, the essence of Divine Love.
Gently invite this energy into your crown chakra and allow it to descend down into your heart center.
Become aware that as you are opening to the flow of the Reiki energy completely there is a column of light flowing through the central channel of your body from the Heart of God, through you directly into the Heart of Mother Earth. You are a pillar of light, and you are anchoring the highest and most sacred healing energies onto the planet now.
Sit in silence for several minutes with Reiki energy flowing through you and BE the pillar of Divine Love and Light. When this feels complete to you, bring your awareness to the crown of you head and bring the light down through your crown into your heart. Then bring the light from the heart of the Earth up into your heart. Allow these beautiful energies of creation and manifestation to blend within you.
Now focus on the Reiki energy and give thanks as it balances and aligns your chakras. Allow Reiki to adjust your chakras perfectly so that the flow of energy in your body is clear, smooth and peaceful. Be aware as your chakras are adjusted by placing your focus on your chakras one at a time beginning at the crown, and moving your awareness and intention down to your base chakra.
Laurelle Gaia
http://www.reikiclasses.com/
6.21.2005
Usui Virtual Retreat June 2005 - Week One
Be the peace we wish to see in the world
Please join me on a marvelous adventure, an exploration into the knowingness that you personally are, and we collectively are the peace we wish to see in the world.
I invite you to begin to see our world through the eyes of Gaia, our Mother Earth, and also through the infinite potential within the Heart and Mind of God. There is an evolutionary leap that is happening right now. It is happening by each of simply BEing who we truly are.
It is with soul felt gratitude that I offer the messages and journeys that the Reiki energy brings to us. I am forever thankful to Usui Sensei for sharing the beautiful gift of Reiki with us, and for the magnificent light that is enveloping our planet
Let’s begin this week with a message and meditation offered to us by Gaia, the Soul Essence of our Mother Earth.
“Welcome children of peace, I embrace you. Thank you for hearing this message and opening your hearts, minds and souls to the energy upon and within these words. You are remembering your choice and I embrace you. You carry the peace ray within you. You hold the vision beyond the vision for you are the very essence of peace ...and you are remembering this.
Please pause for a moment and prepare to connect with the very essence of this message. You may begin by placing your focus upon your breath. Let it be deep, soothing, and calming. Allow yourself to begin to experience an expanded reality.
You may experience this by closing your eyes.... focus on your breath ... expand your awareness above you and around you ... intend to expand and become aware of your connection with the light of your soul. .. Breathe into this awareness ... now expand more and become aware of the light of your soul group ... breathe into this connection.... expand and become aware of your connection to the full intensity of the Divine heart and mind...breathe into this expanded awareness. Allow the full intensity of this light to flow . . . from the heart and mind of the Divine ... into the light of your soul group ... expanding its light ... breathe ... next allow the expanded light of your soul group to flow into the light of your soul ... breathe ... increase the light of your soul ... and now allow the full intensity of this expanded light to flow into your energy field and your physical body ... flowing from above ... around and within ... breathe ... breathe ... breathe ... feel the intensity of the light you now hold.
You are here in this moment to make the most important choice that you can make in this lifetime. That choice is whether you will accept the power of Divine love that you are. This choice is whether you will continue to accept that which you perceive to be darkness, or whether you will come to know that darkness is simply the conscious limitation of love. You have the choice to release the distraction of focusing on that which is not real, and to shift your focus to the Divine in all things.
You may choose to see peace as light. When you choose to BE that light of peace . . . peace will BE. It is that simple, for the Divine is not complicated and the Divine is unlimited. The frequency that is peace is stronger than all the darkness that some perceive to be exploding on the earth. I am the voice of mother earth, and I am the soul of reality.
Please know that which is not real is simply less than the full power of the light of Divine love. It is not truly dark, it is not evil, yet it is awakening light.
See my children ... See. See the wars; see the terror, see the pain as awakening light. See the transformational potential in this awakening and hold the great vision . . . hold the vision beyond all limits.
The great vision calls you ... it calls all light workers ... it calls all peace weavers to this purpose. The purpose is to be who you truly are, to be the light of peace and to place your focus always upon the light of Divine love which resides in all people, all actions, and all things. Light is awakening within even that which appears to be the darkest of the dark . . . and you each transmit the light that awakens ... you do this by being peace.
The intensity of Divine light is expanding ... the volume of light is increasing. This is the focus ... This is what you see.... the rest is invisible. Perhaps you will you will see the irony ... what humanity has perceived to be invisible is visible through the eyes of the soul. In the text of your Bible you find the Christed one of that time, the one known as Jesus to say in John 20:29… Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
You may ask ... have I felt peace within myself? Can I see peace in the same way as I can see war? If you have felt peace within yourself ... yet have not “seen” peace ... you still know that peace is very real. You see the invisible with the eyes of your soul. Together you have the power to awaken humanity to the age of peace. You have the power to transform the collective creative God consciousness by raising the frequency of the peace ray with your thoughts, words, visions and actions. As one prophet of peace implored you ... so do I implore you.... “Be the peace you want to see in the world.”
Laurelle Gaia
http://www.reikiclasses.com/
Please join me on a marvelous adventure, an exploration into the knowingness that you personally are, and we collectively are the peace we wish to see in the world.
I invite you to begin to see our world through the eyes of Gaia, our Mother Earth, and also through the infinite potential within the Heart and Mind of God. There is an evolutionary leap that is happening right now. It is happening by each of simply BEing who we truly are.
It is with soul felt gratitude that I offer the messages and journeys that the Reiki energy brings to us. I am forever thankful to Usui Sensei for sharing the beautiful gift of Reiki with us, and for the magnificent light that is enveloping our planet
Let’s begin this week with a message and meditation offered to us by Gaia, the Soul Essence of our Mother Earth.
“Welcome children of peace, I embrace you. Thank you for hearing this message and opening your hearts, minds and souls to the energy upon and within these words. You are remembering your choice and I embrace you. You carry the peace ray within you. You hold the vision beyond the vision for you are the very essence of peace ...and you are remembering this.
Please pause for a moment and prepare to connect with the very essence of this message. You may begin by placing your focus upon your breath. Let it be deep, soothing, and calming. Allow yourself to begin to experience an expanded reality.
You may experience this by closing your eyes.... focus on your breath ... expand your awareness above you and around you ... intend to expand and become aware of your connection with the light of your soul. .. Breathe into this awareness ... now expand more and become aware of the light of your soul group ... breathe into this connection.... expand and become aware of your connection to the full intensity of the Divine heart and mind...breathe into this expanded awareness. Allow the full intensity of this light to flow . . . from the heart and mind of the Divine ... into the light of your soul group ... expanding its light ... breathe ... next allow the expanded light of your soul group to flow into the light of your soul ... breathe ... increase the light of your soul ... and now allow the full intensity of this expanded light to flow into your energy field and your physical body ... flowing from above ... around and within ... breathe ... breathe ... breathe ... feel the intensity of the light you now hold.
You are here in this moment to make the most important choice that you can make in this lifetime. That choice is whether you will accept the power of Divine love that you are. This choice is whether you will continue to accept that which you perceive to be darkness, or whether you will come to know that darkness is simply the conscious limitation of love. You have the choice to release the distraction of focusing on that which is not real, and to shift your focus to the Divine in all things.
You may choose to see peace as light. When you choose to BE that light of peace . . . peace will BE. It is that simple, for the Divine is not complicated and the Divine is unlimited. The frequency that is peace is stronger than all the darkness that some perceive to be exploding on the earth. I am the voice of mother earth, and I am the soul of reality.
Please know that which is not real is simply less than the full power of the light of Divine love. It is not truly dark, it is not evil, yet it is awakening light.
See my children ... See. See the wars; see the terror, see the pain as awakening light. See the transformational potential in this awakening and hold the great vision . . . hold the vision beyond all limits.
The great vision calls you ... it calls all light workers ... it calls all peace weavers to this purpose. The purpose is to be who you truly are, to be the light of peace and to place your focus always upon the light of Divine love which resides in all people, all actions, and all things. Light is awakening within even that which appears to be the darkest of the dark . . . and you each transmit the light that awakens ... you do this by being peace.
The intensity of Divine light is expanding ... the volume of light is increasing. This is the focus ... This is what you see.... the rest is invisible. Perhaps you will you will see the irony ... what humanity has perceived to be invisible is visible through the eyes of the soul. In the text of your Bible you find the Christed one of that time, the one known as Jesus to say in John 20:29… Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
You may ask ... have I felt peace within myself? Can I see peace in the same way as I can see war? If you have felt peace within yourself ... yet have not “seen” peace ... you still know that peace is very real. You see the invisible with the eyes of your soul. Together you have the power to awaken humanity to the age of peace. You have the power to transform the collective creative God consciousness by raising the frequency of the peace ray with your thoughts, words, visions and actions. As one prophet of peace implored you ... so do I implore you.... “Be the peace you want to see in the world.”
Laurelle Gaia
http://www.reikiclasses.com/
5.25.2005
Sharing in the Spirit of Spring
Dear friends of Wisechoices and Mari Hall
I don’t know about you but it is certainly hard for me to believe that Memorial Day weekend is in a few days and the summer solstice and the start of the Usui Retreat will start on 21st of June, time is flying by.
We have a special guest for this next On Line Virtual Usui Retreat; my friend Laurelle Shanti Gaia RM will be doing the three meditations for us. She is a lady of great warmth, compassion and vision. For those of you who may not know her you can read about her work at http://reikiclasses.com/
Two wonderful ladies, Caroline Winters and Connie Barrett have written articles for us this months newsletter. I know you will enjoy reading them as much as I have. Their articles follow this letter.
I am off this Friday to speak at the South Central Reiki Retreat in Bardstown, KY, over Memorial weekend and then will traveling to teach a ONE course and a Reiki Wisdom day in Niagara, New York in June. I will be back in Houston, Texas in time to start the Usui Retreat with you.
Have a beautiful love filled inspiring month.
Love and Blessings,
Mari
The Importance of Love and Forgiveness in Healing
Caroline Winters RM
articwinters@msn.com
As Reiki Masters, teachers and practitioners we often talk and write about the importance of love and forgiveness in healing ourselves and all humanity. I’d like to tell a story of two occasions I witnessed and was part of that illustrate the miracles which can happen when we overcome anger, fear and hatred with Love.
For close to twenty five years I was privileged to work with and for the First Nations people of Alaska. It was there, several years before I’d even heard the word “Reiki” that I witnessed the enormous power of love to heal. Becoming a Reiki Master seems to have been a natural outgrowth from those experiences. They live in me, an inspiration to always seek to come from a place of love and forgiveness ~ for my own health ~ that of my family, my community and our world.
In a village about 150 miles north and west of Fairbanks in early 1985 a young man had been stabbed to death by his girlfriend, the first of three young men, out of a community of less then 200 people, to die needlessly that year.
Three years later, in another community with dazzling summer weather lighting the beauty and majesty of the snow capped Wrangell Mountains around us, a healing conference took place. A group of women from the village, including the young man’s mother, were there. So was the young woman, recently released from jail and with a new boyfriend. Seeing the women from the village she was terrified and did everything possible to avoid them. On the second morning, after opening circle, under a bright blue sky, the women from the village sought out the young woman and her companion. He quietly steadied and encouraged her, kept her from fleeing, as the women approached. When they came to her, instead of anger or recrimination, they reached out with love as they hugged her, crooned over her, speaking words of encouragement and endearment. The mother, whose son she’d stabbed to death, gathered her in her arms and held her as they cried together. A miracle of love and healing took place on the grass. And in my tears I was certain I heard sky and trees sing with joy.
Another year at still another statewide “gathering”, a young man was present who had been contemplating suicide and though he had made the decision not to, was still struggling with despair. Because of the loving, accepting spirit he felt in the group he finally gained courage and spoke of his struggle. The agenda stopped! People came, to touch him, to hug him, to whisper words of support and encouragement. There were several hundred people so many had to wait a long time but everyone was patient. Those who had hugged him began a circle dance around him, drum’s resonance and voices filling the air. When, at last, everyone who wished had touched him, he was drawn into the circle to dance, becoming a part of the whole, becoming part of the community again. His face shone with joy!
Such power in love! Such healing power in ceremonies of love! In my dialogue with a friend I wonder why as a society we’re so focused on punishment instead of redemption. I cling to the memory of the miraculous power of those moments of love, praying that as I share that vision, it will help bring about those changes that heal.
I think about the power of love! I think about the power of Spirit present everywhere, but felt most strongly in those moments when sacred space has been opened in ceremonies of love. I put my hands on myself and others with the loving touch of Reiki. I teach others how to do the same. I’m blessed to be so privileged!
Latter-Day Ants
Connie Barrett RM
elfincat@rainbowcrystal.net
Many of us were raised in societies in which Ant behavior is rewarded and Grasshopper behavior punished. If you came home with homework you had to finish it before you could go outside and play. If you worked hard in college, you'd get a good job, unlike the bad grasshoppers, which were too busy having fun to decide on an academic major, let alone a career.
Some of us may believe that if anything good happens without a great deal of effort preceding it, the results isn’t to be trusted. If, for example, you've ever dreamed of winning a contest, have you ever imagined winning and somehow mysteriously losing the money? Or, now you're rich, but get struck down by some dread disease.
When I started painting a few years ago, I thought that the longer I worked (and the more I suffered) the better my painting would be. If a painting happened to go easily I was sure that I must be doing it wrong--or that my brush would slip to ruin the accidental masterpiece.
Who Am I?
I once read an interview with Deepak Chopra in which he said we are human doings, not human beings. Rather than having our actions stem from our deepest sense of self, we allow what we do to determine who we are. Our sense of self becomes a matter of performance based on certain inflexible ideas.
We weren't born with these ideas. We come into this world as spirit clothed in a physical costume. As the need for survival becomes impressed upon us we search for those beliefs which seem most likely to help us live. Then we forget that we chose these beliefs, and view them as rules.
Lots of us decide that life is serious, and if we choose to have more conscious spirituality in our lives we may find ourselves being very serious and industrious about acquiring it. We may trudge along our path with the same single mindedness we use to complete a job, feeling that the more we read, study, meditate, do every exercise we can find, the closer we are to where we need to be. As we inch, ant-like, towards our spiritual goals, we forget that where we need to be is where we began, as unique expressions of universal
spirit.
Perhaps the greatest disservice of the fable of the grasshopper and ant is its either-or nature. I, however, have often watched an animal which plays at being both Grasshopper and Ant.
The squirrel, whose keyword in many Native traditions is Gathering, sometimes appears to be even busier than Ant. If you've ever spent time observing one, though, you get a different impression. Squirrel says, "This hour I am an industrious being who gathers nuts and seeds for the winter. Then I'm going to dash along branches and leap from tree to tree. Later I'll turn some somersaults, chase some other squirrels, then rest on a comfortable tree limb and contemplate leaves. Finally I may climb the side of this wooden nest and peek in at the being that sits in one place for hours at a time and moves her claws continuously."
Thinking about Squirrel reminds me of its smaller rodent cousin and a story I heard about a young Dutch mouse named Fritz.
Food for the Soul
Fritz, like the grasshopper, was a pleasure-loving creature who spent the summer dashing from one interesting place to the next without a care in the world. From time to time he ran into the other mice, which paid no attention to glorious beams of sunlight or the fragrant breath of a breeze, so busy were they gathering and storing crumbs of food.
"Fellow mice," Fritz said one day. "Why are you always so busy? Take a moment to look at the sky; waggle your whiskers and smell the flowers."
The other mice ignored Fritz, all except a spokes mouse, who said, "Don't you know that winter is coming"
Fritz was baffled. "What's that?"
"Cold and snow, and no food to be found anywhere. You won't be dancing and prancing around them. You'll be hungry, but we won't."
Fritz nibbled on a seed, and then darted away, laughing at the morbid fantasies of creatures too busy preparing for a future which might never come to enjoy the pleasures of the moment.
Winter did come, and Fritz did get hungry. Drawn by the smell of food, he crawled into the burrow of the other mice.
"And what do you think you're doing here?" asked the spokes mouse. "Why should we share the food we worked hard to gather while you were being lazy?"
Fritz had an idea. "I'll tell you stories to while away the long winter night. I'll tell you what the bees and butterflies say to the flowers and the tales the birds tell of lands beyond the sea."
The mice began to draw closer, their eyes bright with curiosity. Even the spokes mouse looked interested. "Do you have a lot of stories?"
"Countless," Fritz said, knowing that if he ran out of real ones he could make them up.
He told them of birds' journeys to the jungles of Africa and tropical islands, about the messages of love bees carried from flower to flower, and the ancient history of the forest which was inscribed onto the bark of trees. With each story the mice drew closer, and soon they were all quite warm and cozy.
They had the most wonderful winter any mouse could remember, and when spring came each one gone up to shake Fritz's paw. That spring and summer every mouse took out some time to play and sunbathe and listen to the gossip of plants and trees. The next winter they each had a story to tell, and they all passed the season in comfort and joy.
I don’t know about you but it is certainly hard for me to believe that Memorial Day weekend is in a few days and the summer solstice and the start of the Usui Retreat will start on 21st of June, time is flying by.
We have a special guest for this next On Line Virtual Usui Retreat; my friend Laurelle Shanti Gaia RM will be doing the three meditations for us. She is a lady of great warmth, compassion and vision. For those of you who may not know her you can read about her work at http://reikiclasses.com/
Two wonderful ladies, Caroline Winters and Connie Barrett have written articles for us this months newsletter. I know you will enjoy reading them as much as I have. Their articles follow this letter.
I am off this Friday to speak at the South Central Reiki Retreat in Bardstown, KY, over Memorial weekend and then will traveling to teach a ONE course and a Reiki Wisdom day in Niagara, New York in June. I will be back in Houston, Texas in time to start the Usui Retreat with you.
Have a beautiful love filled inspiring month.
Love and Blessings,
Mari
The Importance of Love and Forgiveness in Healing
Caroline Winters RM
articwinters@msn.com
As Reiki Masters, teachers and practitioners we often talk and write about the importance of love and forgiveness in healing ourselves and all humanity. I’d like to tell a story of two occasions I witnessed and was part of that illustrate the miracles which can happen when we overcome anger, fear and hatred with Love.
For close to twenty five years I was privileged to work with and for the First Nations people of Alaska. It was there, several years before I’d even heard the word “Reiki” that I witnessed the enormous power of love to heal. Becoming a Reiki Master seems to have been a natural outgrowth from those experiences. They live in me, an inspiration to always seek to come from a place of love and forgiveness ~ for my own health ~ that of my family, my community and our world.
In a village about 150 miles north and west of Fairbanks in early 1985 a young man had been stabbed to death by his girlfriend, the first of three young men, out of a community of less then 200 people, to die needlessly that year.
Three years later, in another community with dazzling summer weather lighting the beauty and majesty of the snow capped Wrangell Mountains around us, a healing conference took place. A group of women from the village, including the young man’s mother, were there. So was the young woman, recently released from jail and with a new boyfriend. Seeing the women from the village she was terrified and did everything possible to avoid them. On the second morning, after opening circle, under a bright blue sky, the women from the village sought out the young woman and her companion. He quietly steadied and encouraged her, kept her from fleeing, as the women approached. When they came to her, instead of anger or recrimination, they reached out with love as they hugged her, crooned over her, speaking words of encouragement and endearment. The mother, whose son she’d stabbed to death, gathered her in her arms and held her as they cried together. A miracle of love and healing took place on the grass. And in my tears I was certain I heard sky and trees sing with joy.
Another year at still another statewide “gathering”, a young man was present who had been contemplating suicide and though he had made the decision not to, was still struggling with despair. Because of the loving, accepting spirit he felt in the group he finally gained courage and spoke of his struggle. The agenda stopped! People came, to touch him, to hug him, to whisper words of support and encouragement. There were several hundred people so many had to wait a long time but everyone was patient. Those who had hugged him began a circle dance around him, drum’s resonance and voices filling the air. When, at last, everyone who wished had touched him, he was drawn into the circle to dance, becoming a part of the whole, becoming part of the community again. His face shone with joy!
Such power in love! Such healing power in ceremonies of love! In my dialogue with a friend I wonder why as a society we’re so focused on punishment instead of redemption. I cling to the memory of the miraculous power of those moments of love, praying that as I share that vision, it will help bring about those changes that heal.
I think about the power of love! I think about the power of Spirit present everywhere, but felt most strongly in those moments when sacred space has been opened in ceremonies of love. I put my hands on myself and others with the loving touch of Reiki. I teach others how to do the same. I’m blessed to be so privileged!
Latter-Day Ants
Connie Barrett RM
elfincat@rainbowcrystal.net
Many of us were raised in societies in which Ant behavior is rewarded and Grasshopper behavior punished. If you came home with homework you had to finish it before you could go outside and play. If you worked hard in college, you'd get a good job, unlike the bad grasshoppers, which were too busy having fun to decide on an academic major, let alone a career.
Some of us may believe that if anything good happens without a great deal of effort preceding it, the results isn’t to be trusted. If, for example, you've ever dreamed of winning a contest, have you ever imagined winning and somehow mysteriously losing the money? Or, now you're rich, but get struck down by some dread disease.
When I started painting a few years ago, I thought that the longer I worked (and the more I suffered) the better my painting would be. If a painting happened to go easily I was sure that I must be doing it wrong--or that my brush would slip to ruin the accidental masterpiece.
Who Am I?
I once read an interview with Deepak Chopra in which he said we are human doings, not human beings. Rather than having our actions stem from our deepest sense of self, we allow what we do to determine who we are. Our sense of self becomes a matter of performance based on certain inflexible ideas.
We weren't born with these ideas. We come into this world as spirit clothed in a physical costume. As the need for survival becomes impressed upon us we search for those beliefs which seem most likely to help us live. Then we forget that we chose these beliefs, and view them as rules.
Lots of us decide that life is serious, and if we choose to have more conscious spirituality in our lives we may find ourselves being very serious and industrious about acquiring it. We may trudge along our path with the same single mindedness we use to complete a job, feeling that the more we read, study, meditate, do every exercise we can find, the closer we are to where we need to be. As we inch, ant-like, towards our spiritual goals, we forget that where we need to be is where we began, as unique expressions of universal
spirit.
Perhaps the greatest disservice of the fable of the grasshopper and ant is its either-or nature. I, however, have often watched an animal which plays at being both Grasshopper and Ant.
The squirrel, whose keyword in many Native traditions is Gathering, sometimes appears to be even busier than Ant. If you've ever spent time observing one, though, you get a different impression. Squirrel says, "This hour I am an industrious being who gathers nuts and seeds for the winter. Then I'm going to dash along branches and leap from tree to tree. Later I'll turn some somersaults, chase some other squirrels, then rest on a comfortable tree limb and contemplate leaves. Finally I may climb the side of this wooden nest and peek in at the being that sits in one place for hours at a time and moves her claws continuously."
Thinking about Squirrel reminds me of its smaller rodent cousin and a story I heard about a young Dutch mouse named Fritz.
Food for the Soul
Fritz, like the grasshopper, was a pleasure-loving creature who spent the summer dashing from one interesting place to the next without a care in the world. From time to time he ran into the other mice, which paid no attention to glorious beams of sunlight or the fragrant breath of a breeze, so busy were they gathering and storing crumbs of food.
"Fellow mice," Fritz said one day. "Why are you always so busy? Take a moment to look at the sky; waggle your whiskers and smell the flowers."
The other mice ignored Fritz, all except a spokes mouse, who said, "Don't you know that winter is coming"
Fritz was baffled. "What's that?"
"Cold and snow, and no food to be found anywhere. You won't be dancing and prancing around them. You'll be hungry, but we won't."
Fritz nibbled on a seed, and then darted away, laughing at the morbid fantasies of creatures too busy preparing for a future which might never come to enjoy the pleasures of the moment.
Winter did come, and Fritz did get hungry. Drawn by the smell of food, he crawled into the burrow of the other mice.
"And what do you think you're doing here?" asked the spokes mouse. "Why should we share the food we worked hard to gather while you were being lazy?"
Fritz had an idea. "I'll tell you stories to while away the long winter night. I'll tell you what the bees and butterflies say to the flowers and the tales the birds tell of lands beyond the sea."
The mice began to draw closer, their eyes bright with curiosity. Even the spokes mouse looked interested. "Do you have a lot of stories?"
"Countless," Fritz said, knowing that if he ran out of real ones he could make them up.
He told them of birds' journeys to the jungles of Africa and tropical islands, about the messages of love bees carried from flower to flower, and the ancient history of the forest which was inscribed onto the bark of trees. With each story the mice drew closer, and soon they were all quite warm and cozy.
They had the most wonderful winter any mouse could remember, and when spring came each one gone up to shake Fritz's paw. That spring and summer every mouse took out some time to play and sunbathe and listen to the gossip of plants and trees. The next winter they each had a story to tell, and they all passed the season in comfort and joy.
5.01.2005
A note from Mari in Holland
April 30th- Queen’s Day- Heesch, the Netherlands
Dear Friends,
Hello from the Southern part of the Netherlands where Spring has arrived at last!
We took a beautiful drive yesterday leaving Heesch which is close to Oss and heading south west around S’Hertogenbosch and onward in a north westerly direction towards the city of Utrecht. However once we crossed over the Harp Bridge which is the first of three bridges that separates the south from the northern part of the Netherlands we turned off the main road and headed west along the top of the dyke at the northern side of the Waal river from Tuil to Gorinchem.
For those of you who have never been to the Netherlands and may remember the story about the little boy who stuck his finger in the dyke to hold back the water so it may be hard to imagine that a car can be driven on the top of the dyke and that the dyke is wide enough to support cars. Actually the story about the boy is true however he put his clothes and wooden shoes in the hole to stop the water. He then ran home to tell his parents so that the whole village was saved.
On both sides of a river you will find the primary dyke which is usually not too far from the river, then a kilometre from the primary one there is a secondary dyke that is called a “sleeping dyke”. In older times the cows and sheep grazed in between the two dykes and the houses were built on the other side of the sleeping dyke. As the country filled with people the need for houses increased and people began to build houses on both sides of the dykes. Nowadays when the floods come and they do, these houses often end up under the water.
Driving on the dyke gives us a glimpse of how it must have been in times gone by. Houses and farms stretch out before us. They were built long ago yet everything is in order, clean and fresh. You are left with the impression that everything must be cleaned before the people go to bed or perhaps some “Dutch elves” are at work in the dark to make everything ready for the new day. At various points along the way small ferries take cars and people to the other side of the river as it has been done for hundreds of years only then it was carts and horses instead of cars. In this part of the country you will also see orchards full of fruit trees that are presently in blossom and many glass houses for growing vegetables.
They have even made platforms for the goats to climb and have a rest and have a better view of what is happening in the fields. I was amazed at the marvellous way they store hay. The roof of the building raises up as more and more hay is added. When it is wet a fire is lit in the room under the hay to provide heat and keep the hay dry. A forerunner of central heat! It is not a modern invention rather it has been used for centuries. Reed that is cut every two years from age old tress are used to weave a fence and to make roofs for the house. Nothing is wasted.
At one place in between two villages there were 4 nests for storks and each nest had a pair of storks sitting on the nests. It seems there will have to be plenty of babies born that will need to be carried to waiting parents with that many storks in one place.
Our trip was made on the April 30th the day before the celebration of the Queen’s birthday and this year they also are celebrating her 25th year on the throne. On May 4th Memorial day will be observed and on the next day, May 5th they will celebrate the end of the 2nd world war. Many festivals and celebrations will be happening over the next week so all the more reason to decorate.
As a frequent visitor it is still hard for me to imagine much less explain how the country comes together to decorate their houses, villages and towns with Orange streamers, (the orange color represents freedom to the Dutch people) It looks like a sea of orange. Their National Flag flies from the houses and public buildings, and what was surprising to me was the many American flags I also saw raised in honour of the American soldiers who helped to free the country. I was so touched by how they continue to pay respect to those who helped them previously.
Each village decides what theme will be used during these days. We drove through Herwijnen renamed for these festival days “Happy Valley.” It took on a remarkable American Western theme. There was a “Last Chance Saloon”, brightly painted Totem poles that looked like the ones the Eskimos make in Alaska; not quite Texas but it sure works, cactus and even an arch to drive through that is made with six shooters and topped with an American Eagle. These are not the normal sights of a Dutch village. Streamers were everywhere and all the people in the village were at work to make things ready. As we passed through Vuren they had turned the village into a fairy tale. On both sides of the road were cut outs of familiar animals and as we drove through Dalem we saw that the village had been turned into a “Butterfly” heaven.
Some of the houseboats that are moored permanently in the town of Gorinchem were also decorated, certainly the town was in a festival mood offering Orange lunches that comprise of Orange soup, Salmon , carrot salad and a dessert that was red, white and blue cake with an orange sauce over the top…and the drink, of course it is Orange Bitters! The center of the city there was live music and a carnival. We sat at a table in the sun and enjoyed coffee and the atmosphere.
Europe is a café society, the Netherlands is no exception. As soon as it is warm enough people sit outdoors in the many small cafes that line the squares. You are not rushed to finish and move on, rather it seems as if you have all the time in the world to enjoy each moment, time quietly passes by. People wave to each other, greetings are exchanged and they join each other to pass the time. The center of the square becomes the meeting point all through the day and evening. Those of us who have never experienced this are indeed missing something. Flowers are every where, hanging from baskets, in large pots, in window boxes and on the tables. The scent is incredible and the colors are so bright.
We came home last night so full of everything we saw and experienced. We were a “good” tired yet we are now planning another day out soon. I wish you could be here to experience it for yourselves.
I have found that slowing down to be present in each moment rewards me with delights to fill all my senses and heart. I am experiencing the Dutch people and their country by being with them as they live their daily life. I highly recommend it.
Blessings and Love,
Mari
Dear Friends,
Hello from the Southern part of the Netherlands where Spring has arrived at last!
We took a beautiful drive yesterday leaving Heesch which is close to Oss and heading south west around S’Hertogenbosch and onward in a north westerly direction towards the city of Utrecht. However once we crossed over the Harp Bridge which is the first of three bridges that separates the south from the northern part of the Netherlands we turned off the main road and headed west along the top of the dyke at the northern side of the Waal river from Tuil to Gorinchem.
For those of you who have never been to the Netherlands and may remember the story about the little boy who stuck his finger in the dyke to hold back the water so it may be hard to imagine that a car can be driven on the top of the dyke and that the dyke is wide enough to support cars. Actually the story about the boy is true however he put his clothes and wooden shoes in the hole to stop the water. He then ran home to tell his parents so that the whole village was saved.
On both sides of a river you will find the primary dyke which is usually not too far from the river, then a kilometre from the primary one there is a secondary dyke that is called a “sleeping dyke”. In older times the cows and sheep grazed in between the two dykes and the houses were built on the other side of the sleeping dyke. As the country filled with people the need for houses increased and people began to build houses on both sides of the dykes. Nowadays when the floods come and they do, these houses often end up under the water.
Driving on the dyke gives us a glimpse of how it must have been in times gone by. Houses and farms stretch out before us. They were built long ago yet everything is in order, clean and fresh. You are left with the impression that everything must be cleaned before the people go to bed or perhaps some “Dutch elves” are at work in the dark to make everything ready for the new day. At various points along the way small ferries take cars and people to the other side of the river as it has been done for hundreds of years only then it was carts and horses instead of cars. In this part of the country you will also see orchards full of fruit trees that are presently in blossom and many glass houses for growing vegetables.
They have even made platforms for the goats to climb and have a rest and have a better view of what is happening in the fields. I was amazed at the marvellous way they store hay. The roof of the building raises up as more and more hay is added. When it is wet a fire is lit in the room under the hay to provide heat and keep the hay dry. A forerunner of central heat! It is not a modern invention rather it has been used for centuries. Reed that is cut every two years from age old tress are used to weave a fence and to make roofs for the house. Nothing is wasted.
At one place in between two villages there were 4 nests for storks and each nest had a pair of storks sitting on the nests. It seems there will have to be plenty of babies born that will need to be carried to waiting parents with that many storks in one place.
Our trip was made on the April 30th the day before the celebration of the Queen’s birthday and this year they also are celebrating her 25th year on the throne. On May 4th Memorial day will be observed and on the next day, May 5th they will celebrate the end of the 2nd world war. Many festivals and celebrations will be happening over the next week so all the more reason to decorate.
As a frequent visitor it is still hard for me to imagine much less explain how the country comes together to decorate their houses, villages and towns with Orange streamers, (the orange color represents freedom to the Dutch people) It looks like a sea of orange. Their National Flag flies from the houses and public buildings, and what was surprising to me was the many American flags I also saw raised in honour of the American soldiers who helped to free the country. I was so touched by how they continue to pay respect to those who helped them previously.
Each village decides what theme will be used during these days. We drove through Herwijnen renamed for these festival days “Happy Valley.” It took on a remarkable American Western theme. There was a “Last Chance Saloon”, brightly painted Totem poles that looked like the ones the Eskimos make in Alaska; not quite Texas but it sure works, cactus and even an arch to drive through that is made with six shooters and topped with an American Eagle. These are not the normal sights of a Dutch village. Streamers were everywhere and all the people in the village were at work to make things ready. As we passed through Vuren they had turned the village into a fairy tale. On both sides of the road were cut outs of familiar animals and as we drove through Dalem we saw that the village had been turned into a “Butterfly” heaven.
Some of the houseboats that are moored permanently in the town of Gorinchem were also decorated, certainly the town was in a festival mood offering Orange lunches that comprise of Orange soup, Salmon , carrot salad and a dessert that was red, white and blue cake with an orange sauce over the top…and the drink, of course it is Orange Bitters! The center of the city there was live music and a carnival. We sat at a table in the sun and enjoyed coffee and the atmosphere.
Europe is a café society, the Netherlands is no exception. As soon as it is warm enough people sit outdoors in the many small cafes that line the squares. You are not rushed to finish and move on, rather it seems as if you have all the time in the world to enjoy each moment, time quietly passes by. People wave to each other, greetings are exchanged and they join each other to pass the time. The center of the square becomes the meeting point all through the day and evening. Those of us who have never experienced this are indeed missing something. Flowers are every where, hanging from baskets, in large pots, in window boxes and on the tables. The scent is incredible and the colors are so bright.
We came home last night so full of everything we saw and experienced. We were a “good” tired yet we are now planning another day out soon. I wish you could be here to experience it for yourselves.
I have found that slowing down to be present in each moment rewards me with delights to fill all my senses and heart. I am experiencing the Dutch people and their country by being with them as they live their daily life. I highly recommend it.
Blessings and Love,
Mari
3.31.2005
A Message from Mari and Five Elements of Reiki
Hello my Friends,
I am leaving for the Netherlands on Monday the 4th of April and will be gone till the 15th of May. I am taking a spiritual sabbatical with my Dutch family the van Stavern’s for six weeks. During this time I will be meditating and writing and will not on line. My daughter Stacey will check my mail from time to time. Contact her directly should you need to talk with me, her e mail address is Staceystricklin@hotmail.com I will get back with you as soon as possible.
Many of you have asked what my plans are for this year. Although my schedule is much lighter than last year I have plans to be in the following places:
May- The Annual South Central Reiki Retreat in Bairdstown, Kentucky, Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-30th. For more information go to: http://www.reikiclasses.com/kyretreat2005.htm
June- I will be in Stella Niagara, New York on the 11th for a Reiki Wisdom day and on the 18 and 18th I will be teaching a ONE course in Stella Niagara. For more information and to register contact Trish at pnaffky@hotmail.com
I will also be in San Antonio, Texas at the Dancing Moon Healing Center to teach ONE on the 26th. Please contact them directly at +1 (210) 289-9722 or
Email: dancingmoon1@sbcglobal.net
Website: http://www.Dancing-Moon.com
July- I will be at the Greater Washington DC Reiki Conference in Rockville, Maryland. The conference is on Saturday the 30th of July and I will be teaching a ONE course on Sunday the 31st. There is a possibility that I will also be giving a talk and demonstration of the Integration technique on the 1st of August. Please contact David at http://www.reikicenter.info/pages/662453/index.htm or by e mail at DGleekel@aol.com
August- I will be in Cypress, Texas
September- mid October- I will be teaching in Tuggernong, Australia the following courses:
September 17th- Reiki Wisdom Day
September 18th- Reiki Two
September 24-25th – ONE
October 1-2- Majesty of Mastery
October 3- ONE Plus
For more information and to register contact Anton Pemmer RM at reiki@primalbalance.com.au
Mid October through Mid December are open should any of you wish to organise a course or a Reiki Wisdom day contact me for details.
2006- I am scheduled to be back in Thessalonica, Greece in February 2006 and will be teaching some spiritual classes with Demetrius at his center in addition to Reiki and ONE. For more information contact Tassos at spyridistassos@hotmail.com
I wish you a beautiful spring filled with promise and peace. You are a blessing in my life and continue to touch my heart in many wondrous ways. For this I am grateful. Enjoy the article. I will catch up with you in May.
The article follows and is an excerpt from their newest book, The Japanese Art of Reiki
Love, Mari
Five Elements of Reiki
Bronwen and Frans Stiene
Throughout the system of Reiki’s global trotting and time traveling, just five elements have remained consistent. Many other aspects have been removed, altered or created over the last 100 years. Culturally, the system has adapted itself to various traditions where it has been modified to suit the moral and spiritual values unique to each tradition. Individually, it has also been molded to the tastes and skills of practitioners - and yet these five basic elements have remained. Often in the past, this survival has been reliant on unusual guises that reflect, once again, a cultural or individual influence. Therefore it is easy to understand why for many practitioners today it is a challenge to see the system’s five elements clearly.
It has already been described how the basis of the system was created by a Japanese man, Usui Mikao, in the early 1900s from his own unique experiences. Usui’s blending of esoteric Buddhism called Mikkyô, ancient Shugendô practices, classical samurai teachings, and martial arts know-how produced distinctive teachings. By utilizing traditional approaches in his own inimitable way his intention was to bring about an unmasking, a revelation of what it meant to be human.
Consequently, it is not the energy itself that makes this system unique but the path that is walked. This path developed into one consisting of five elements:
gokai (daily precepts)
kokyû hô (breathing techniques)
tenohira (palm-healing)
shirushi and jumon (symbols and mantras)
and the receiving of reiju from a teacher (a blessing from which the Western attunement evolved)
A practitioner practices the majority of these elements alone – gokai, kokyû hô, and shirushi and jumon. Tenohira, too, is practiced on oneself with the possibility of using it on others. These elements all become part of a personal daily routine coupled with the regular receiving of reiju from a teacher where possible. When brought together each of the elements exerts a separate influence on the practitioner producing a complete system that affects powerful change.
Using each of these five elements individually is a strong practice yet when you combine them they produce a complete spiritual teaching that is accessible to everyone. Each element supports the other, filling in the gaps that will exist for different practitioners. No two people have the same needs when learning. For this reason working with all five elements gives each practitioner a greater chance of success. Together these elements create a whole that is firm yet flexible, supporting practitioners on their individual spiritual paths.
If practitioners tread in the footsteps of Usui (metaphorically) with steadfast self-practice they will be assured of discovering deeper, more consistent and lasting results from the system of Reiki.
You may contact Bronwen and Frans at info@reiki.net.au. Please visit their web pages http://www.reiki.net.au/ I understand that their site will be changing it’s look in mid April to May please bookmark the site and return to see the newest changes that have been designed by two very dedicated Reiki Teachers.
To purchase the book : The Japanese Art of Reiki: A Practical Guide to Self-Healing by Bronwen Stiene, Frans Stiene follow this link to Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1905047029/internatihous-20/102-6625777-8888964?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1
I am leaving for the Netherlands on Monday the 4th of April and will be gone till the 15th of May. I am taking a spiritual sabbatical with my Dutch family the van Stavern’s for six weeks. During this time I will be meditating and writing and will not on line. My daughter Stacey will check my mail from time to time. Contact her directly should you need to talk with me, her e mail address is Staceystricklin@hotmail.com I will get back with you as soon as possible.
Many of you have asked what my plans are for this year. Although my schedule is much lighter than last year I have plans to be in the following places:
May- The Annual South Central Reiki Retreat in Bairdstown, Kentucky, Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-30th. For more information go to: http://www.reikiclasses.com/kyretreat2005.htm
June- I will be in Stella Niagara, New York on the 11th for a Reiki Wisdom day and on the 18 and 18th I will be teaching a ONE course in Stella Niagara. For more information and to register contact Trish at pnaffky@hotmail.com
I will also be in San Antonio, Texas at the Dancing Moon Healing Center to teach ONE on the 26th. Please contact them directly at +1 (210) 289-9722 or
Email: dancingmoon1@sbcglobal.net
Website: http://www.Dancing-Moon.com
July- I will be at the Greater Washington DC Reiki Conference in Rockville, Maryland. The conference is on Saturday the 30th of July and I will be teaching a ONE course on Sunday the 31st. There is a possibility that I will also be giving a talk and demonstration of the Integration technique on the 1st of August. Please contact David at http://www.reikicenter.info/pages/662453/index.htm or by e mail at DGleekel@aol.com
August- I will be in Cypress, Texas
September- mid October- I will be teaching in Tuggernong, Australia the following courses:
September 17th- Reiki Wisdom Day
September 18th- Reiki Two
September 24-25th – ONE
October 1-2- Majesty of Mastery
October 3- ONE Plus
For more information and to register contact Anton Pemmer RM at reiki@primalbalance.com.au
Mid October through Mid December are open should any of you wish to organise a course or a Reiki Wisdom day contact me for details.
2006- I am scheduled to be back in Thessalonica, Greece in February 2006 and will be teaching some spiritual classes with Demetrius at his center in addition to Reiki and ONE. For more information contact Tassos at spyridistassos@hotmail.com
I wish you a beautiful spring filled with promise and peace. You are a blessing in my life and continue to touch my heart in many wondrous ways. For this I am grateful. Enjoy the article. I will catch up with you in May.
The article follows and is an excerpt from their newest book, The Japanese Art of Reiki
Love, Mari
Five Elements of Reiki
Bronwen and Frans Stiene
Throughout the system of Reiki’s global trotting and time traveling, just five elements have remained consistent. Many other aspects have been removed, altered or created over the last 100 years. Culturally, the system has adapted itself to various traditions where it has been modified to suit the moral and spiritual values unique to each tradition. Individually, it has also been molded to the tastes and skills of practitioners - and yet these five basic elements have remained. Often in the past, this survival has been reliant on unusual guises that reflect, once again, a cultural or individual influence. Therefore it is easy to understand why for many practitioners today it is a challenge to see the system’s five elements clearly.
It has already been described how the basis of the system was created by a Japanese man, Usui Mikao, in the early 1900s from his own unique experiences. Usui’s blending of esoteric Buddhism called Mikkyô, ancient Shugendô practices, classical samurai teachings, and martial arts know-how produced distinctive teachings. By utilizing traditional approaches in his own inimitable way his intention was to bring about an unmasking, a revelation of what it meant to be human.
Consequently, it is not the energy itself that makes this system unique but the path that is walked. This path developed into one consisting of five elements:
gokai (daily precepts)
kokyû hô (breathing techniques)
tenohira (palm-healing)
shirushi and jumon (symbols and mantras)
and the receiving of reiju from a teacher (a blessing from which the Western attunement evolved)
A practitioner practices the majority of these elements alone – gokai, kokyû hô, and shirushi and jumon. Tenohira, too, is practiced on oneself with the possibility of using it on others. These elements all become part of a personal daily routine coupled with the regular receiving of reiju from a teacher where possible. When brought together each of the elements exerts a separate influence on the practitioner producing a complete system that affects powerful change.
Using each of these five elements individually is a strong practice yet when you combine them they produce a complete spiritual teaching that is accessible to everyone. Each element supports the other, filling in the gaps that will exist for different practitioners. No two people have the same needs when learning. For this reason working with all five elements gives each practitioner a greater chance of success. Together these elements create a whole that is firm yet flexible, supporting practitioners on their individual spiritual paths.
If practitioners tread in the footsteps of Usui (metaphorically) with steadfast self-practice they will be assured of discovering deeper, more consistent and lasting results from the system of Reiki.
You may contact Bronwen and Frans at info@reiki.net.au. Please visit their web pages http://www.reiki.net.au/ I understand that their site will be changing it’s look in mid April to May please bookmark the site and return to see the newest changes that have been designed by two very dedicated Reiki Teachers.
To purchase the book : The Japanese Art of Reiki: A Practical Guide to Self-Healing by Bronwen Stiene, Frans Stiene follow this link to Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1905047029/internatihous-20/102-6625777-8888964?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1
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